All Fall Down
by stick out your tongue
Summary: For the last few months Bella has continually shoved Edward aside in favor of Jacob Black. But when Edward is attacked and nearly killed during the battle with the newborns, Bella learns what she really has to lose. And now she's fighting to get it back before her world unravels completely. —Eclipse AU—


**The usual reasons for this sort of storyline—basically, I wanted to put Edward in a weakened position, since everyone seems to take his being strong for granted. And I thought Jacob should learn the consequences of his actions. And Bella should open her eyes. And honestly, fancy reasoning aside, I just felt like writing a fanfiction because I am so cool. Enjoy!**

Chapter One

Jacob had been planning it for a very long time.

The thing was that Bella always seemed to fall for the bloodsucker's act; she'd look at a monster and be fooled by smooth talk and a pretty face. She'd chosen him over Jacob and that wasn't fair, Jacob wasn't _used_ to being denied the things he wanted, and the slight made him stay up every night stewing until he found a way to make her his.

Edward Cullen had attempted suicide, and it had made Bella practically fall over herself to get to him. Jacob didn't want to kill himself—he had no intention of dying. But Bella didn't need to know that. She'd always been pathetic at telling when someone was lying to her.

Jacob knew the plan would work.

Even more than having Bella, he was looking forward to seeing Cullen's face when he realized he'd lost, looking into the monster's eyes and holding Bella to his side and saying, _She kissed me. I win_.

Then he did it. But winning didn't feel nearly as good as he'd thought it would.

**/**

Jacob bounded down the mountainside with a whoop, his tongue lolling out in the crisp cold air and his feet positively flying off the snowy ground.

She'd kissed him. _Kissed him_.

And she'd liked it.

_You see that, Cullen, _Jacob shouted, blessing the freak's mindreading because he would have been a witness to the entire scene. Jacob had made sure of it by broadcasting every thought and sensation during the kiss as loudly as he could. _You see how much she liked it? Does she moan for you like that?_

He heard the pack's silent disapproval in the back of his mind. They thought Jacob's methods were wrong. As if they really cared when it was Edward Cullen being hurt, Jacob thought furiously. God, they were such hypocrites. None of them really gave a damn about a leech's happiness—they just wanted to be able to sleep at night.

Jacob was about to tell them so when the sound of shouting reached his ears. Near the top of the mountain, he could hear Bella's sobs.

And a guy's voice. Yelling at her.

Jacob wheeled around and raced back the way he'd come, hardly daring to believe his luck. Could the bloodsucker have turned on her that quickly? This might have worked better than expected. Maybe Cullen would end things with her and Jacob wouldn't even have to do any work.

Excitement lent him speed, and Jacob reached the top of the mountain within minutes. Once he'd cleared the last of the trees, he stumbled to a halt, sweat cooling on his body and panting hot breath out into the air. The scene was nothing like he'd expected.

Bella had tears running down her cheeks, just like he'd thought, but it was Seth who was inches from her, face red like he'd been screaming. Cullen stood with his shoulder solidly behind Bella's, eyes shuttered, muscles tensed beneath his skin.

"You had no right to do that to him!" Seth said, throwing his arms in the air. "What are you, stupid? How could you fall for Jake's trick?"

Bella couldn't respond. She was crying too hard for that.

"That's _enough_, Seth," Cullen said furiously, and Jacob stared, backtracking to listen from behind the trees.

Bella cried over a lot of things, and Seth liked Cullen so it wasn't that surprising he was leaping to his friend's defense, but it was the leech's reaction that made Jacob freeze. Cullen looked upset—not angry or arrogant, just a serious hurt that he was trying and failing to hide.

Jacob bit his lip on a smirk. So bloodsuckers could get hurt feelings, apparently. Who knew? But Cullen had no right to care if Bella betrayed him. It wasn't like he was a person.

"But Edward," Seth said, voice wavering, "Edward, how can you let them do this? Why aren't you mad at her? Or Jacob?"

"Bella didn't do anything wrong—she has the right to—" Cullen broke off, and Jacob saw him clench a fist against the fabric of his jeans. "And neither did Jacob," Cullen continued. "He was—he was upset. He didn't mean any harm. I get it, okay?"

Cullen was defending him. He was actually—

Jacob phased back then and there, dressing and running out from behind the trees. Cullen turned to look at him, unsurprised, but the other two jumped and Bella actually gave a little scream through her tears.

"What the hell are you playing at, leech?" Jacob spat. Cullen's lack of anger was leaving him strangely irritated. It wasn't what he'd expected at all, and he'd been looking forward to an explosion. "_I kissed her_. I manipulated her into kissing _me_," he said savagely. "Doesn't that make you mad?"

Cullen's eyes flashed black, just for a moment. "It makes me _furious_," he gritted out. "But I'm not going to place blame where it doesn't belong!"

_So where does it belong?_ Jacob wanted to ask, but he didn't get the chance.

At that moment a breeze wafted their way and the three supernatural creatures stiffened, muscles tensing as they caught an unmistakable scent.

Vampire.

In a move much too quick to be human, Cullen grabbed Bella and pulled her behind him, one arm curved protectively around her waist. Jacob and Seth stripped off their clothes and phased as one, the pack's worry hitting them like a sledgehammer.

"It's okay," Cullen said loudly, eyes unfocused, and Jacob wasn't sure who he was addressing until he heard Sam warily asking asking whether the pack should come help. Right. The freak was reading their minds. "It's just one vampire. We can handle it."

The pack had finished their half of the fight, Jacob heard, and Paul and Quil were pawing impatiently at the ground. Sam had to order them not to run up and join the action. Jacob sent a mental snicker their way.

_Eager much, guys? Too bad you're stuck down there,_ he ragged them, listening with amusement to their irritation.

In the next second Cullen lunged without warning, shoving Jacob to the ground. Jacob leapt to his feet, fuming, before he saw that the newborn was crouched exactly where he'd been just a moment before. The rock around it was crushed and misshapen from its landing. Jacob swallowed hard, suddenly nauseous. He hadn't been paying attention and—

_That could've been me._

The pack mind was a cacophony of shock and relief, some of them offering grudging thanks for Cullen's quick save. Jacob scowled. Like the leech hadn't had some ulterior motive.

He turned to see that Cullen was no longer by his side, but facing the newborn with his head cocked like he was lost in thought. His arms hung loosely by his sides, fingers relaxed. The animal change hadn't really come over him yet.

The newborn's red eyes focused clearly on Cullen's face, and as Jacob watched, it went for him.

**/**

The newborn was big, and heft made it slow, so Edward was able to absorb enough details to catalogue it quickly.

Grey cargo pants, powerful hands, short-cropped brown hair and red eyes that glowed like beacons in the gloom. The man was thirty, maybe thirty-five. A few months past the newborn stage, so the residual strength would not have fully drained from the muscles but impulses would be better controlled. The newborn grinned, showing teeth that were still bloodstained from its latest kill—a young girl in Seattle. The memories were hazy with thirst and lust.

Dangerous. Too dangerous to be allowed to live, Edward thought with regret. This man had had a life.

But that poor girl. She'd had one too.

Glancing around, Edward quickly memorized his surroundings. Light glittered coldly off the snow and the sky was grey, casting the whole world in darkness like a half-lit stage. A sheer part of the mountainside loomed up like a cliff, its top disappearing into the thick clouds.

He sank into a crouch and watched silently as the newborn circled him warily, sniffing the air. He was about to go in for the kill when Seth, who'd been growing steadily more impatient at the lack of action, took matters into his own hands and launched himself at the newborn with a snarl.

Seth had come in at a bad angle. Edward saw immediately that he wasn't going to make it in time to protect himself. The wolves didn't realize exactly how fast newborns could be.

Edward threw himself at the newborn and got there first, sending them both crashing to the hard ground. Seth skidded to a halt when he reached them a half-second later, spraying mud and snow in all directions.

"Go, Seth," Edward bit out, struggling to stay on top of the newborn through its thrashing. "Now!"

The sandy wolf stubbornly dug in his heels until Jacob yanked him away by the scruff of his neck. Seth whined loudly but sat back on his haunches, and Edward felt cool relief seep through him. He took a moment to look up and ensure that everyone was out of harm's way. Bella looked petrified with fear, her back pressed against the cliff face, and Seth's nose was between his paws as he watched. Jacob stood tense and poised to spring, hackles raised, unsure of whether or not he should join the fray.

Edward waved him off, no, he didn't need him. Jacob could get hurt.

Besides, he'd fought newborns before and he wasn't so worried about this one. It was stronger, he was faster: they were pretty evenly matched.

While the newborn was planning a feint to the right, Edward managed to catch it off guard and pin it against the cliff side with an arm across the neck. Reaching forward to tear out its throat, Edward was distracted before he could do so.

_Edward_, Jacob thought loudly, and Edward looked up in surprise. Jacob was staring intently at him. _You know, if you died, Bella would have a life._

Edward froze, all thoughts of the fight leaving his head.

_And she knows that, _Jacob continued, speaking quickly as if in a hurry to get out the words. Edward couldn't seem to pull his eyes away. _She chose me. The kiss. Didn't you see?_

He had. Of course he had. And Edward had known all along that she would make the right choice in the end. The choice that left her happy and warm and alive. He wanted to be happy for her, he did, and the fact that he couldn't made him sick.

And he'd been trying to forget, using the fight as a distraction to think of anything but the fact that she had _kissed _Jacob, she had _chosen _that path, the one that would leave Edward empty and cold without her warmth.

Edward held Jacob's gaze for a brief frozen moment before the spell was broken. Seth shouted something Edward couldn't make out because the newborn was moving, twisting in his loosened grasp. He didn't have time to brace himself as the newborn threw him to the ground so hard that his bones rattled.

When his head slammed against the rock, the world flashed white-hot and he felt a trickle of warm blood. Edward lay stunned for a moment. Then he rolled onto his side, instinctively gasping for breath.

"Edward?" Bella's voice was high and wavering with fear.

Edward stumbled to his feet, ignoring the way the world tilted and shook. He put a hand to the back of his head and then looked at it, the blood a shocking red against his skin. The sky was pulsing and he felt dizzy and weak. He raised his head to see Bella's flushed, terrified face, the funny half-smile Jacob wore as their eyes met.

The newborn, which had been watching from a few feet away, lunged without any warning at all. Edward was still stunned, and he barely had time to look up before it was on him, catching hold of him and squeezing hard. Cold arms wrapped around Edward's shoulders with the force of a vice. There was nothing but incredible pressure for a moment, then a sickening crunch.

Pain seared through him, radiating outward from his torso. It felt like his bones were on fire. Edward's knees buckled and he slumped in the newborn's grasp, suddenly lightheaded.

"Getitoff him!" someone shrieked, their voice cutting through his ears like a knife. Seth, Edward realized dazedly, it was Seth.

Abruptly a huge black wolf filled his vision, its eyes meeting Edward's for a brief moment. The wolf snarled and snapped at the newborn's arms until it let go, then seized it by the shirt collar and dragged it away.

A grey wolf trotted up beside Edward. Letting out short huffs of air, it nudged at him with its muzzle in an apparent attempt to push him out of the fray.

Edward thought it was trying to be gentle, but he lost his balance anyway as his legs gave out.

The breath was torn out of him when he hit the ground and jolted broken bones, agony flaring all down his right side. He tried to get up on instinct but his arms wouldn't support him and he fell back, gasping. A scream strangled in his throat.

The grey wolf shimmered and turned into Leah Clearwater, who was staring down at Edward in horror. "Sam!" she shouted. "Sam, I need you!" She whipped around and stared at the black wolf, which was tearing at the newborn's upper half. Two severed legs twitched on the ground.

Leah knelt down, short dark hair falling like a curtain that blocked the world from view.

"Just hang on, okay?"

The grey wolf burst out of her skin and she went back into the fight.

Suddenly there were massive creatures all around him, huge things made of fur and a thousand crashing teeth. Edward realized through the haze that they were fighting something, and it looked brutal and he should probably help, but the pain had further reach than anything. It licked along his insides with fingers and fire and claws, hurt so much that he couldn't think past it.

The sounds abruptly stopped, and in the ringing silence that followed Edward could hear his own shuddering breaths. He realized he was shaking violently and couldn't seem to stop.

Then someone was there by his side, speaking in an oddly strained voice. "Hey. Well, that worked—better than expected. I didn't really expect you to get hurt like that, you know. But I think I'm glad you did."

With effort Edward looked up at Jacob, who was staring down at him. Several different emotions seemed to be fighting for dominance on his face, and he opened his mouth, wetting his lips.

"Cullen, I—"

There was too much pain to care who it was he was talking to. Edward just needed it to stop. He tried to say as much, but all he could get out was a moan. The shaking that he couldn't suppress was making his torso throb in time with it and everything _hurt_.

There were more people around him now, he realized. Quileutes. He felt naked and defenseless, unable to even move, his vision tunneling and a pounding in his ears.

And Jacob so close to him made Edward want to flinch away; the heat felt like it was burning him.

The black wolf trotted toward them and shivered down into Sam Uley, who was furiously pulling on his shorts. "Jacob, get the hell away from him!"

Jacob looked up, startled. "I didn't—Sam, this isn't my fault! I didn't do this!"

"You did enough," Sam growled. "We were phased, we know you distracted him on purpose. Damn it, does the word treaty mean nothing to you? What if they start a war over this?" His expression changed and he crouched down beside Edward, blocking out the blinding light that reflected off the snow. "Hey, hey, look at me. Cullen, how bad is it? Can you get up?"

The sky was so bright it hurt his eyes and Edward felt much too hot, almost feverish, but he was shivering from cold at the same time. Someone was trying to talk to him, but Edward was caught in horror and he couldn't respond. The pain was so huge it was overwhelming. He couldn't _breathe_.

Sam shifted on his knees, jostling Edward's shoulder in the process, and he felt the ends of snapped bones grind together and snag on delicate nerves. Edward pressed his lips together to hold back a scream, but a strangled whimper got out.

Sam cursed. "Look, he needs the doctor, _now_. Somebody get the Cullens!"

"Guys, I need a fire!" somebody yelled from a few yards away. The voice was slightly familiar. Paul. Edward had heard him speak once before. As noise began to start up again it felt like his head was splitting open, like his nerves had been fried.

"Hey—Edward. Listen to me," Sam said in a low, urgent voice, and Edward struggled to turn his head and focus on his words through the agony. "We're getting your dad now, okay? You're going to be fine."

Sam gingerly felt beneath his head, easing it off the cold rock, and Edward cried out at the searing pain. Sam winced but kept his hand pressed against the wound.

"He's losing blood," he said loudly. "Does anyone have a jacket? Shirt? Anything?"

_Bella_.

Edward realized he was out of air and released the breath he'd been holding. It shook embarrassingly. "Where—" His voice cracked, barely audible, and Sam leaned closer to hear. "Where is she?" Edward murmured, the words slurring together.

Showing vulnerability like this was the last thing he wanted to do in front of the Quileutes, but it hurt so much and she wasn't there and he couldn't get up to look for her.

He'd thought she might come to him, this time.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. "She?"

"Bella," Jacob said abruptly from his other side. His tone was strange. "He wants Bella."

"Hey, get over here!" Sam shouted toward the cliffs, and Edward didn't bother trying to turn and look.

Even incapacitated he knew that scent, the rising burn in his throat.

Bella's stumbling footsteps drew closer until she fell heavily to her knees beside him. Edward cleared his throat and tried to talk, only managing a gasp. He hated being so weak in front of Bella, but her presence was—nice. Comforting. He wanted her for however much longer she would stay.

His mouth moved and this time he was able to get out the word, though it was barely more than a breath. "Bella."

"I'm here, Edward," she said. "You'll be okay." Her voice was choked; she was hurting. He had failed to keep her happy and safe.

Jacob had been right. So right.

It was good she'd chosen him.

Edward looked up at Bella, her eyes shining with tears, face blurred like a watercolor painting. He wished he could see her more clearly and tried to sit up again, but the world spun sickeningly. The pain almost stunned him, so he barely noticed when Sam put a burning hand flat on his chest and pushed him back to the ground.

"Sam," Bella said, apparently shaken into action. "I have a—here." She pulled off her thick overcoat and then her sweater, putting the coat back on. "Here, you needed, for his head—"

Sam took the proffered sweater and pressed it to Edward's head. It stung horribly and he flinched away before he could stop himself, sucking in air through his teeth.

"Sorry, Edward," Sam said, keeping a firm grasp on his shoulder. "I know it hurts. Try not to move. Bella, listen, what happens if they lose all their blood?"

"All of it?" Bella's voice was unnaturally high-pitched as her warm hand smoothed across Edward's forehead. Edward closed his eyes, trying to memorize the sensation. "I don't—I don't know, I never— I mean, is it really _their_ blood?"

"No, I know," Sam said quickly, "but still, he's bleeding so much, I don't know how to stop it. Don't they usually hunt before it gets too low? Can this do permanent damage?"

"I don't know," Bella said, her voice nearing hysteria. "I don't know. Can someone call Carlisle? Edward's phone is in his pocket."

Warm fingers prodded at his side, pulling something from his jean pocket, and Edward gasped though it sounded more like a sob.

If only the darkness would come and take everything away. He wanted so badly to _sleep_.

"Shhhh, stay with me," Bella said as if listening to his thoughts.

Edward wanted to answer that he wasn't going anywhere, he couldn't, but talking would take breath that he didn't have. He concentrated on keeping his eyes fixed on Bella's face.

He was agonizingly lucid and his nerves were too sensitive. Vampires weren't meant to be hurt, but when something did harm them they were intimately aware of each throbbing bruise and broken bone, every cell a thousand times more sensitive than that of a human.

Bella pulled out of his sight before he could ask her to stay, and he heard the sound of her muffled sobs. He wanted to help her but couldn't, because the pain was the same and it was the only thing he could focus on. People were arguing, their voices sharp and too loud, and Edward was still shaking as he stared up at the overcast sky.

The realization came out of nowhere that he could hear nobody's thoughts but his own.

Edward stiffened, making his vision flash white, and reached out with his good hand. Someone pushed it back against the ground and he tried to raise his head, the fear rising up in his throat. He'd never liked his gift, but—it felt like he was deaf. He couldn't _hear_.

"Edward, what is it?" Seth's face had replaced Jacob's, and he looked worn and pale with fear. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"I don't know," Sam muttered, turning his head to the side, but Edward could still hear him clearly. "We need the Cullens. I don't know what to do."

The world looked too dark and it didn't make sense; he wasn't supposed to be able to fall unconscious but felt halfway there now. The silence pressed in on his ears.

"I can't," Edward choked out, abruptly desperate to make them understand. "I can't hear."

Bella's face was suddenly very close to his, drawn tight with concern. "What does that mean? Can you hear me?"

"No—yes," Edward muttered, his thoughts disjointed enough that it was hard to string a sentence together. "No, I mean I can't, what they're saying in—" He broke off, frustration coursing through him. Explaining took too much work and he couldn't concentrate enough to get out the words.

"Do you mean your mindreading? Can you hear what I'm thinking?" Sam asked, and Edward slumped back in relief.

"No," Edward whispered, closing his eyes again. It hurt to look at her face. Sam's hand was uncomfortably warm, still cupping the back of his neck, and blood had soaked his shirt. The snow was achingly cold against him. He was so tired. "No, I can't."

Seth made a small noise of distress.

"Oh, God," Bella said, her breath hitching. "He hit his head—what if he—"

"I wouldn't talk like that right now," Sam said sharply. "Edward, you're going to be fine, okay? Your leader's coming. Just hang on a little bit longer."

"Yeah," Edward said, his voice almost inaudible. The pain that ran through him like wildfire was getting too hard to fight off and he could feel his body shutting down.

A hot stabbing sensation took the breath from his lungs, and darkness began to gather at the corners of his eyes. He was supposed to stay awake, he knew that, but unconsciousness was beckoning to take away the pain. The frantic voices around him grew muffled as if coming from underwater. Someone was calling his name, but he'd forgotten how to respond.

He let go.

**Your thoughts would be lovely.**


End file.
